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Call For Applications For Masters Scholarship Under The Biosorption For Sustainable Small-Scale Gold Mining In Uganda (BioGold) Project

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BioGold Project is a three-year collaborative project among five academic institutions including, Kyambogo University, Makerere University, Gulu University, University of Pretoria and University of Continuing Education, Krems, Austria funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation under the APPEAR Partnership. The project will combine principles of biosorption and chemical remediation to treat contaminated wastewater, tailings, rehabilitate contaminated soils so as to protect vulnerable ecosystems surrounding artisanal gold mining (ASGM) areas in Uganda. This study will design biochar composites from locally available biomass to enhance mercury removal from wastewater and tailings as well as rehabilitate mercury-contaminated soils making them fit for agriculture. The project envisages to train and build capacity of young researchers in Uganda. As such the project has been allocated an MSc. position under Component II, to support to full-time student to undertake studies in Austria. The successful MSc candidate is expected to undertake research on characterizing, optimizing biochar and modify the biochar to improve the sorption capacities.

The project consortium is now inviting qualified and interested persons to apply for nomination for the award of the scholarship. The project has strong preference for female candidates, therefore strongly encouraged to apply.

Eligibility criteria

In addition to APPEAR requirements https://appear.at/en/implementation/embedded-scholarship-application, the applicants should:

  1. Not be older than 30 years (women not older than 35)
  2. Demonstrate interest and capability to work in the priority themes
  3. Present a concept note to provide understanding of the subject
  4. Have a minimum of second- upper class bachelor’s degree in any of the following programmes: BSc in Chemistry, BSc in Environmental Science, & BSc in Environmental Engineering

Benefits

The successful applicants will receive a full scholarship (up to 24 months) which includes;

  1. Return air ticket and visa costs to Austria
  2. Monthly stipend of €1000 while in Austria to cater for personal welfare, accommodation and local movement
  3. Research related expenses.

Application process

  1. A complete application form
  2. A one-page motivation letter
  3. Curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages)
  4. A completed Master Scholarship Application Form for Embedded APPEAR Projects
  5. Copies of Academic documents
  6. Photocopy of the passport and/or ID
  7. Recommendation letters from two academic referees.
  8. All applications must be sent electronically to Dr. Mary Kaggwa (marykaggwa@kyu.ac.ug) and copied to Dr. Peter Akoll (peter.akoll@mak.ac.ug) and Dr. Denis Nono (d.nono@gu.ac.ug) not later than 5.00pm East African Time on 20th June 2024.

Members of staff with former students interested in biochar technology and its use in heavy metal removal are requested to share the advert with them.

Full Advert and Application form may be accessed below.

Note: Only successful applicants will be contacted.

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Hasifa Kabejja

Natural Sciences

World Aquaculture Safari 2025: Biggest Aquaculture Meeting in Africa

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WORLD AQUACULTURE SAFARI 2025: Biggest Aquaculture Meeting in Africa, 24th-27th June 2025, Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
  • WORLD AQUACULTURE SAFARI 2025: Biggest Aquaculture Meeting in Africa
  • Date: 24th-27th June 2025
  • Venue: Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kampala, Uganda

*****About the Conference

East Africa is the fastest growth node for aquaculture on the African continent. This is predominantly as a result of the farming of tilapia, but several other species contribute to the sector. East Africa is also a world leading region in the farming of seaweed, with exciting developments around several other marine species such as sea cucumber and more.

The EU-funded TRUEFISH Project, which seeks the advancement of aquaculture in the Lake Victoria Basin, showcased the region to the World Aquaculture Society (WAS) Board in 2022, which was well accepted and led to the pinning down of June 2025 as a suitable date for an aquaculture conference in the region. This in turn led to the signing of a hosting agreement between WAS and Landell Mills as an implementing partner of TRUEFISH.

Through Egypt (2022), Zambia (2023) and Tunisia (2024), the African Regional Aquaculture (AFRAQ) Conferences have shown steady growth. It is however important to emphasize that Aquaculture Safari 2025 is a World Aquaculture Conference, incorporating both the continental event and the showcase global event. Undoubtedly, it will address key African topics such as tilapia and catfish production, but the conference will cater to a global audience covering a diverse range of presentations, species, meetings, discussions, workshops and more. Commitments of participation have been received from the likes of the FAO, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit, the African Union and others.  The trade show and exhibition promises to assemble the largest selection of aquaculture goods and service providers under one roof, in Africa, to date.

*****Theme and aim of the Conference

Organized under the theme “Aquaculture on the Rise,” World Aquaculture Safari 2025 aims to:

  1. Showcase the aquaculture industry in Africa and globally
  2. Forge international collaborations and linkages, in areas such as research, development, species sectors, feeds, investments, markets, trade and more.
  3. Unify the global aquaculture sector.

*****Expected participants and activities lined up for the Conference

Participants will range from academia to state officials, from technology providers to students, from farmers to fish buyers and exporters, and more. Apart from papers from across the world, plans are also afoot for an extensive farmer’s day, several side events such as aquaculture investment and seaweed workshops, and a field day to visit some of the largest fish farms on Lake Victoria. African countries will also showcase their aquaculture sectors in the trade show, allowing for global networking.

For international visitors the tourism opportunities before and after the conference are limitless. These include trekking for gorillas and chimpanzees (get your permits early!), visiting some of Africa’s famous Big Five game reserves in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, visiting or rafting the Nile River, witnessing the majestic Murchison Falls, seeing Mount Kilimanjaro or experiencing the tropical seas of Zanzibar.

Africa awaits its international aquaculture guests with excitement. Details loading soon. Registration will also open soon on the World Aquaculture Society (WAS) website – https://www.was.org/.

For details on World Aquaculture Safari 2025: https://www.was.org/Magazine/2024/04/38/ 

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Hasifa Kabejja

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Natural Sciences

CARTA Fellow Anywar Attends 2024 World Science Forum

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Dr. Godwin Anywar, at the 2024 World Science Forum that took place in Budapest, Hungary from 20th-23rd November. College of Natural Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Godwin Anywar, cohort 6, Makerere University, attended the 2024 World Science Forum that took place on November 20 – 23, 2024 in Budapest, Hungary. At the forum, he participated in a side event: ‘Trust in Science’, a workshop for early career researchers organized by the Global Young Academy (GYA) and the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP). 

On November 26 – 28, 2024, he attended the twentieth annual meeting of the African Science Academies (AMASA 2024) and the General Assembly of the Network of African Academies of Sciences (NASAC), in Algiers, Algeria. He presented on ‘Promoting Science Diplomacy for Sustainable Development in Africa’ as one the co-leads of the Science Diplomacy in Africa working group of the Global Young Academy’. 

Godwin also participated in the Uganda Text Book Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association (UTANA)- hybrid symposium on authorship capacity where he moderated a panel session on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and academic authorship. With the theme ‘Capacity building for academic and nonfiction authorship for Africa’s Transformation’ the symposium took place from November 14 -15, 2024 in Kampala, Uganda. 

Additionally, he attended and moderated a session on the regulation and registration of herbal medicinal products (HMP) in African countries. Organized by the Society for Medicinal Plants and Natural Products Research (GA) in collaboration with PharmaConnect Africa NPC and The Natural Products Research Network for Eastern and Central Africa (NAPRECA), the session was part of an eSeminar series ‘Regulation of Natural Products – a Global Challenge’.

Source: CARTA Newsletter Issue 83

Mark Wamai

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Natural Sciences

CARTA Fellow Anywar Appointed Member of BMC Editorial Board

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Dr. Godwin Anywar (2nd Right) displays his certificate after attending the Science Diplomacy Course in Trieste, Italy, from June 17 to 21, 2024. Photo: CARTA.

Godwin Anywar, cohort 6, Makerere University, was appointed a Member of the editorial board of BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies on June 18, 2024. The appointment is on a rolling basis, renewable after every two years.

He also attended the Science Diplomacy Course in Trieste, Italy, from June 17 to 21, 2024, under the auspices of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Washington, DC, USA, and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Trieste, Italy.

Source: CARTA Newsletter Issue 78

Mark Wamai

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